Fan deicing or antiicing means



March 7, 1950 P, PAL MATIER 2,499,831

FAN DEICING 0R ANTIICING MEANS Filed (Kit. 26, 1943 Patented Mar. 7,1,950

FAN DEICING OR ANTIICING MEANS Everett P. Palmatier, Upper Montclair, N.J., assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of DelawareApplication October 26, 1943, Serial No. 507,759

7 Claims formed on the fan blades or to prevent the formation of icethereon.

More particularly, in accordance with my 1nvention, the aforesaid hotgases are caused to.

pass through each fan blade for the purpose stated.

Further in accordance with my invention, a plurality of fan blades aresecured to an aircraft spinner or other rotating mount for rotatablemovement therewith, each of the fan blades comprising a passageextending longitudinally there through.

Various other objects, advantages and features of my invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description.

My invention resides in the fan de-icing or anti-icing means, the fanblade constructions and arrangement of the character hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of one ofthe many forms thereof, reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing anaircraft power unit having my novel fan de-icing or anti-icing systemassociated therewith; I

i Fig. 2, generally, is a front elevational view of the arrangementshown in Fig; 1, a part of this view being taken on the line 2--2'ofFig. 1 looking the engine nose 4 and there carries the propellerhub 5which comprises angularly related sockets 5a carrying the respectivepropeller blades 6. Associated with the hub 5, forwardly thereof, is ahousing I for the motor and; associated apparatus which, asknown inthe-art,- is utilizable for changing the pitchof-thcpropeller blades 6.A spinner 8 encloses the hub 5 and housing 1, the respective propellerblades 6 extending through openings provided therefor in the spinner 8which,

in a conventional manner, is secured to the propeller hub 5 as indicatedat 9 whereby said hub 5 and spinner 8 are rotatable together as a unit.In the form of the invention herein shown, the rear end of the spinner 8carries the rotatable fan blades B which form the fanrotor, the blades Bbeing angularly related in suitable manner to the circular path ofmovement thereof through the air. Disposed rearwardly of the rotorblades B are the fixed fan blades Bl which form acir-- cular stator, theblades BI being angularly related in suitable manner to the rotorbladesB.

When the aircraft engine I is in operation, the

shaft 3, the hub 5, propeller blades 6 and the spinner 8 rotate as aunit, the rotor blades B directing a stream of air rearwardly towardthe, engine I. Before such stream of air reaches said engine I, it issuitably deflected by the rear stator blades Bl.

While a conventional propeller-engine-cowl fan arrangement is shown inthe drawings, the invention is not to be considered as limited to thisenvironment. Rather, the invention is directed primarily to the problemof de-icing or anti-icing of cowled fans or blowers for aircraft.

With respect to one or both of the above described sets of fan blades B,BI and, in accordance with the invention, a suitable arrangement isprovided either for de-icing the fan blades in the event that ice shouldform thereon or for. positively preventing the formation of ice on saidfan blades. 1

As an example of the invention, I have illustrated on the drawing anarrangement for passing hot gases through each fan blade forder icingpurposes. disclosed arrangement is to serve merely as an illustration ofone of the many" arrangements which may thus be utilized. Further, itshall be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the useof the fixed fan blades Bl since, if desired, these may be omitted and,if so, the hot gases may be passed directly to the rotor fan bladesB. V1 .1

In accordance with, the invention, each fan blade. B is formed from apair of members l0, H) which, as herein shown although not necessarily,are formed integrally with the rear spinner section to from which thesets of members I ll. I 0' project in blade-forming relation. V.

The rear spinner section further. comprises a pair of interior angular"members 8b, 1.80 which extend throughout the entire circular length- 0fthe spinner and are disposed transversely toits' It shall be understoodthat the;

blade BI is formed from a pair of members 20, 20 I which, as hereinshown although not necessarily, are formed integrally, at their innerends, with a circular member 2| and, at their outer ends, with thecowling section 2a.

The circular member 2| comprises a circular angular section 21a which,in suitable manner, is secured to the engine nose 4. This circularangular section Zla forms a channel Ila which communicates with thechannel ll defined by the spinner members 8b, 80.

In accordance with the invention, the blade members 20, 20 of each fanblade Bl are suitably spaced from each other by a channel or slot 20awhich, at its inner end, communicates with the circular channel Ha, theouter end of each slot 20a being open or unobstructed.

As clearly appears from Fig. 1, the cowling 2 and its section 2a form acircular chamber which is separated into two parts by a circular wall 22forming a barrier in said cowling 2 between the rotor fan blades B andthe stator fan blades Bl.

During the flight of the aircraft and when it becomes necessary tosubject the fan blades B and Bi to a de-icing operation, hot gases or asuitable hot gaseous medium is passed under suitable pressure into theaforesaid circular chamber defined by the cowling 2 and its section 2a,said hot gaseous medium being supplied to this chamber, in the exampleshown, through a plurality of pipes 23 arranged in suitable spacedrelation throughout the circular chamber length, these pipes passingthrough openings provided, respectively, therefor in a circular wall 23asecured interiorly of the cowling 2. Preferably, although notnecessarily, the described hot gaseous medium is heated air obtained asdisclosed in my pending application Serial No. 503,143, filed September20, 1943.

Accordingly, for de-icing purposes, the hot gases are supplied undersuitable pressure to said chamber defined by the cowling 2 and itssection 2a, the hot gases engaging the wall 22 and being deflectedthereby so as to pass inwardly through the slots 20a of the respectivefan'blades Bl. Thereafter, the hot gases pass fromthe fixed channel I lato the rotating channel' II and, then, said hot gases pass through theslots We of the respective fan blades B, into the front cowling chamberand then pass to the atmosphere by way of the cowling openings 21).

In view of the foregoing description, it will be understood that, in theevent that ice forms on the fan blades hereinbefore described, theaircraft pilot or other aircraft occupant may open a suitable valve orthe like, not shown, to thereby cause heateda'lr to pass from the pipes23 and then through the fan blades B and BI for the purpose described.As a result, the temperature of the fan blades is elevated by the hotgases to thereby effectively melt the ice which adheres thereto.

Should .the aircraft pilot obtain knowledge that. heisapproaching anarea wherein icing; conditions mayexist, the above noted valve mayhappened-before sucharea is reached to thereby 4 heat the fan blades inadvance and positively prevent the formation of ice thereon.

In the appended claims, the expression deicing shall be understood asdescribing true deicing wherein that ice is melted which, previously,had been formed on the fan blades and said expression shall also beconsidered as describing an operation wherein the fan blades aresubjected to the action of the hot gases in order to positively preventthe formation of ice thereon.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certainparticular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intendedtherefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an aircraft, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan stator, aset of hollow fan blades forming a fan rotor, means for rotating saidfan rotor, and means for passing a fluid through all of the fan bladehollows, said last named means being effective as regards the fan rotorblades while they rotate.

2. In an aircraft, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan stator, aset of hollow fan blades forming a fan rotor, means for rotating saidfan rotor, and means for passing a fluid through the stator and rotorfan blade hollows in succession, said last named means being effectiveas regards the fan rotor blades while they rotate.

3. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hubhaving passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroudencircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of saidblades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows,and hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of whichcommunicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed inan annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades.

l. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hubhaving passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroudencircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of saidblades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows,hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of whichcommunicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed inan annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades, and meansincluding said hub and shroud to direct a fluid medium through saidstator and fan blade hollows.

5. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hubhaving passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroudencircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of saidblades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows,hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of whichcommunicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed inan annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades, and meansincluding said hub and shroudto direct-a fluid medium serially throughsaid stator and fan blade hollows.

6. In a fan system, afan hub having radially extending axial flow bladesthereon, said blades together sweeping an annular fan blade zone, ahollow shroud embracing said fan, radially extending axial flow hollowstator blades extending from said shroud and disposed in an annular zoneparallel to and coaxial with the annular fan blade zone, said zoneslying between said hub and shroud and together forming an axiallyextending passage for a fluid working medium operated on by said fanblades, and means to direct a second fluid medium into said shroudhollow and radially through said stator blade hollows.

7. In an axial flow fan system, a hollow hub having a substantiallycylindrical periphery, a plurality of pitched hollow blades arrangedaround said hub, a substantially cylindrical shroud embracing saidblades and defining with said hub periphery an axially extending annularpassage through which a working fluid passes for engagement with theexternal surfaces of said blades, and means establishing free communication between said blade hollows, said hub hollow and through saidshroud for a second fluid isolated from said working fluid, said bladesbeing fixedly secured to said shroud.

EVERETT P. PALMATIER.

REFERENCES ITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

